GWJ Chess Club/Tourno?

Two things...

1. iPhone app for chess.com = WAY COOL! You can play games and make your moves, it even has push notification so you know when it's your move.
2. How is the touney going, you guys getting close to the end? I was looking for a link to it inside of Chess.com but couldn't find anything more than the comments section. Anyone know how to get there? Maybe see the brackets?

Cheers,

SodaGremlin

Here's the tourney. Current standings are listed; you can play around with "view all pairings", "games" and other options to see all sorts of fun stuff. I've only been commenting on the current games, but I think if you comment on the ones already ended it'll push a note to the players in those games.

I agree that Chessmaster is a very useful program, even if the interface a little dated. I also get all these weird text characters in my display windows but I'm okay with that. The game analysis is a great tool, showing missed mates and adding some commentary. As mentioned, the tutorials and lessons are very well-written.

I never found the database in CM all that useful though, for that I turn to SCID.

edit: It would be nice if CM played Fischer Random, too. In fact, it would be nice if there was more support for 960 in chess software in general, as it's sometimes nice to take a break for normal chess.

Michael wrote:

I agree that Chessmaster is a very useful program, even if the interface a little dated. I also get all these weird text characters in my display windows but I'm okay with that. The game analysis is a great tool, showing missed mates and adding some commentary. As mentioned, the tutorials and lessons are very well-written.

I never found the database in CM all that useful though, for that I turn to SCID.

edit: It would be nice if CM played Fischer Random, too. In fact, it would be nice if there was more support for 960 in chess software in general, as it's sometimes nice to take a break for normal chess.

What do you mean support for 960?

jadefire21 wrote:
Michael wrote:

I agree that Chessmaster is a very useful program, even if the interface a little dated. I also get all these weird text characters in my display windows but I'm okay with that. The game analysis is a great tool, showing missed mates and adding some commentary. As mentioned, the tutorials and lessons are very well-written.

I never found the database in CM all that useful though, for that I turn to SCID.

edit: It would be nice if CM played Fischer Random, too. In fact, it would be nice if there was more support for 960 in chess software in general, as it's sometimes nice to take a break for normal chess.

What do you mean support for 960?

I mean if more engines/software could play and analyze Fischer Random (960), I would be a happier camper. I don't believe Chessmaster lets you play against the computer in a game of 960.

Heads up Elysium, clock is running low on one of our games.

What's the best-in-class Chess app for the iPhone for a novice/someone who wants to learn how to play better? I like many things about the chess.com app (especially the tactics) but find the UI a little irritating. Is there a better one, or is that what I should be using?

I'm especially interested in any app that will 'actively' teach me - eg, explaining why a given move is good or bad.

For that matter, is a chess.com membership 'worth it'?

Glad you managed to save that, Sean. I was showing "a few minutes" left for one of our games. Time-outs would be so anti-climactic at this point.

I really do apologize -- you guys are not getting my best games here. Sorry to be the drag on the group right now!

I am considering withdrawing from the tournament. I simply haven't the brainspace right now to play at the level this stage deserves, and I'm going slower than the rest of you. I wanted to post first to see if there were objections.

Are there regular GWJ chess events? I'd be interested in joining the next iteration. Also, for tools, I'd highly recommend the Fritz series. You can check out the various options at this location:

http://www.chessbase.com

Elysium wrote:

I am considering withdrawing from the tournament. I simply haven't the brainspace right now to play at the level this stage deserves, and I'm going slower than the rest of you. I wanted to post first to see if there were objections.

It's your call, man. I'd be sad to see you go, but I am not living your life so I can't be the judge of that. And as long as you realize I had you strongly within my crushing grasp...

But yeah, your games this round are very different than your games last round.

cybardian wrote:

Are there regular GWJ chess events? I'd be interested in joining the next iteration. Also, for tools, I'd highly recommend the Fritz series. You can check out the various options at this location:

We putz around on Chess.com a lot, and so far have held a yearly tournament (I'd like to make that twice-yearly). Be sure to join the GWJ group on Chess.com. I try to play pick-up games with everyone in the group periodically, but some members are more active than others. Still, it's a thriving community, and I've made a few friends in places like Russia and Bolivia from that site.

I kind of prefer Rybka myself, but Fritz is great too.

Elysium wrote:

I am considering withdrawing from the tournament. I simply haven't the brainspace right now to play at the level this stage deserves, and I'm going slower than the rest of you. I wanted to post first to see if there were objections.

No worries. Your clearly not playing up to your abilities. Hope all is otherwise well.

Minarchist wrote:

Be sure to join the GWJ group on Chess.com. I try to play pick-up games with everyone in the group periodically, but some members are more active than others. Still, it's a thriving community, and I've made a few friends in places like Russia and Bolivia from that site.

Signed up, and applied for membership. Put you down as referrer Minarchist, hope that helps you with something.

I know nothing of strategy or great games or whatever. Just used to play with a bunch of guys in middle/high school. I think we knew enough not to get hit by a quick loss in a few moves and that's about as deep as it went. So I'm probably easy fodder, but whatever, maybe I'll learn something.

Heh, it got me a trophy, but no discounts on my membership.

Stele wrote:
Minarchist wrote:

Be sure to join the GWJ group on Chess.com. I try to play pick-up games with everyone in the group periodically, but some members are more active than others. Still, it's a thriving community, and I've made a few friends in places like Russia and Bolivia from that site.

Signed up, and applied for membership. Put you down as referrer Minarchist, hope that helps you with something.

I know nothing of strategy or great games or whatever. Just used to play with a bunch of guys in middle/high school. I think we knew enough not to get hit by a quick loss in a few moves and that's about as deep as it went. So I'm probably easy fodder, but whatever, maybe I'll learn something.

About the same here. We should get a game going! I am SodaGremlin on Chess.com. Setup a game or two and lets duke it out! I just joined myself!

Cheers,

SodaGremlin

I have withdrawn from the tournament. Sorry for the anticlimactic finish.

Sorry to hear it. Hope all is well there.

jadefire21 wrote:

About the same here. We should get a game going! I am SodaGremlin on Chess.com. Setup a game or two and lets duke it out! I just joined myself!

Cheers,

SodaGremlin

Friended you and challenged you. Still waiting.

Also I got the chess.com app for Android. Accepted a game with Minarchist on the web site and made my first move, then got a notification icon on my phone after he made a move and it was my turn. Nice integration, and definitely easy to play on the go.

IMAGE(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/118/311319639_166f654a42.jpg)

Congrats to Copingsaw and LiquidMantis for a well-fought final round. Sorry to see you go, Elysium, but it was pretty clear something else was holding you up this round, so we understand. And thanks to all who participated. I love that every time we have a tournament and keep this thread popping up on the site, we get a handful of new members. So welcome newbies! Please continue to play games with each other despite the lack of a tournament. Rated, unrated, I don't care.

And we'll have to talk about when the next tourney starts.

Yeah thanks to the android app, having a fairly quick game with Minarchist so far. I still don't know if I know what the hell I'm doing, but it's better than playing the computer right?

I'm really glad to see a chess community here. The rampant cheating in online chess kind of killed my interest in the game but as we have a (presumably) honest community I'll get my training montage on for the next tournament.

Huge props to Minarchrist for organizing the tournament and congrats on a well earned victory. Looking forward to the next one.

Stele wrote:
jadefire21 wrote:

About the same here. We should get a game going! I am SodaGremlin on Chess.com. Setup a game or two and lets duke it out! I just joined myself!

Cheers,

SodaGremlin

Friended you and challenged you. Still waiting.

Also I got the chess.com app for Android. Accepted a game with Minarchist on the web site and made my first move, then got a notification icon on my phone after he made a move and it was my turn. Nice integration, and definitely easy to play on the go. :cool:

Yeah, I am using the iPhone version of the app. it's pretty cool!

So for the two of your I just made blunders against...

I will get you on the next versions!

Cheers,

SodaGremlin

BTW, count me in for the next tourney!

Well sh*t. Nice move, SodaGremlin. I saw it coming, and assumed I would just castle out of it. Now my inexperience shows through, as I wasn't aware that you couldn't castle while the king was in check. Goodbye rook.

Well that's 0 for 3. Clearly it's been a while. I think I actually got worse instead of better, the first game with Minarchist was pretty close all the way and he finally got a pawn through before me to finish me off with a new queen. Other two games... blah.

Fun playing though, Minarchist, and Soda.

Stele wrote:

Well that's 0 for 3. Clearly it's been a while. I think I actually got worse instead of better, the first game with Minarchist was pretty close all the way and he finally got a pawn through before me to finish me off with a new queen. Other two games... blah.

Fun playing though, Minarchist, and Soda.

Don't worry if it makes you feel better Minarchist is kicking my ass all over the board! and I am in a pinch with another one of my games.

Lets play another Stele!!! That's what the "unrated" option is all about.

Yeah sorry if I wasn't supposed to click rated. I know it's a "friendly" or whatever. I actually thought the first game Minarchist challenged me was rated, so that's why I challenged you to rated, but I guess it wasn't. No big deal on the loss of points really. I did some mentor thing that supposedly raised my score a couple hundred too I think? Interesting site, lots to do.

Stele wrote:

Yeah sorry if I wasn't supposed to click rated. I know it's a "friendly" or whatever. I actually thought the first game Minarchist challenged me was rated, so that's why I challenged you to rated, but I guess it wasn't. No big deal on the loss of points really. I did some mentor thing that supposedly raised my score a couple hundred too I think? Interesting site, lots to do.

Don't worry about dropping something like 200 points after your first game (and shooting up 300 when you win one). The rating system is weighted with a confidence interval, so your first 10-20 games will have you swing pretty wildly. See a full write-up of how it works here. When you get to the point where I have, over 200 games played, I could lose to someone rated 400 points below me and it would still only budge 20 points or so.

Frankly, I'm just glad more people are playing consistently.